


Shake It Out

by ladametranquille



Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Henry Cavill - Fandom
Genre: Developing Relationship, Explicit Language, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:28:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29605272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladametranquille/pseuds/ladametranquille
Summary: Ellie, a stubborn, energetic 20-something, has been with Brian since college, but she can't seem to commit to the next steps.  When she's inadvertently stalked in the park by a handsome, burly Brit, her life turns upside down.
Relationships: Henry Cavill/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've recently stumbled back into a love of fan fiction and am returning with my first HC story. I've done no research, very little has reference to a realistic timeline of his films, and I'm generally making things up as I go. Give me whatever feedback makes you happy. 

#  1

“One more lap,” Topher called lazily from the grassy knoll on the side of the path. He watched Henry pass him at a moderate pace and sighed, jogging into place beside him. “Look, man, you’ve gotta push this last one. You’re quitting on me now.”

Henry puffed heavily beside him, “Not quitting,” he breathed, “just tired.”

Topher glanced around the crowded park path, searching. He pointed, “there. Blue leggings, white jacket. She’s moving. Catch her, pass her, and you can be done for the day.” And without another word, he fell out of step and made his way back to his lookout point.

Henry put his head down and started to charge towards the blue leggings, white jacket, feeling his legs burn at the speed change. He picked off one duo power walking, then a solo runner singing loudly to herself, and then a very fit older gentleman holding pace without trouble. Blue Leggings was his last pass before he could go back to his fully furnished short-term rental, take a hot shower, order from the Thai place that delivers, and settle in for the rest of the day with Kal. He kicked it into another gear.

“Catch her! You can pass her!” He heard Topher yell as Henry made his play closer, “one last push!”

He glanced ahead; her head cocked slightly before she threw a glance over her shoulder, and then she started running just a bit faster. Henry surged again, hovering a few feet behind her. He caught her glance over her shoulder a second time before speeding up once again.

“LET’S GO, HENRY, pass her!”

“I’m bloody trying!” He called back, gritting his teeth and finally coming up parallel with her.

This time, she looked right at him over her right shoulder before she actually laughed and dropped into a full sprint.

Henry dropped back, defeated and exhausted, just in time for Topher to catch him, “what happened?”

“She wouldn’t let me pass her,” he shrugged, reaching for the water in Topher’s hand. He snatched it back, “no way, man. The deal was you pass her. Go get her; she’s still going.”

“But—I— She—“ Henry stuttered, gesturing at her and reaching again for the water. Topher chugged the last drop and then pointed after her.

By now, she had slowed down to a jog again, and Henry caught her without much trouble but kept his distance. She didn’t notice him right away, and when she did, he saw her stiffen and pick up the pace.

“I’m not stalking you. I’m not a creep. My trainer is, though.” He offered, trying to laugh through his heavy breathing. She didn’t reply but keep a steady distance between them. “I just have to beat you; then I can be done with my run for the day and leave you alone.”

Still, he got no reply for several moments as he tried to surge past her again. Finally, she responded, “Not gonna happen,” as she pushed ahead again.

He dropped once again to a walk and let Topher catch him. “I freaked her out. She thinks I’m stalking her. Why did you pick the single female for me to pass? I’m a fucking creep now.”

Topher shrugged, “She was the hottest girl I could see. I’ll go talk to her.” And he jogged to Blue Leggings, who was now walking briskly, fiddling with her GPS watch. Henry watched Topher approach her from behind, shout at her, and the woman wheel around to throw something (her water bottle) at hitting his head with very accurate aim before charging forward and gesturing wildly. Topher threw his hands in the air and backed away as she yelled just enough for Henry to hear: “--enough to worry about without feeling like they’re going to be raped in broad daylight in the park!”

Henry had caught up them well enough by now and hovered at the edge of the path, listening to Topher stutter a befuddling, “Consider it a compliment that you were the most attractive girl out here.” Henry groaned internally and bent to pick up the water bottle, handing it back to her. She snatched it from him without acknowledging his presence in any other way.

“Listen, creep,” she continued, “sending your big burly friend to chase me down is not exactly a sign of flattery. Neither is stalking in general. I’m going down this path, and there is a security call in 50 yards. If you are anywhere near me, I’ll use it, and your meathead friend here knows I can beat you both to it.”

She turned on her heels and jogged down the path, glancing twice over her shoulder as she went and disappearing out of sight.

“Way to go,” Henry slapped Topher on the shoulder, rolling his eyes, and taking the other path towards his apartment. After leaving Topher at the park, having a warm shower, and realizing the Thai place did NOT deliver and was twenty blocks away, he walked down the block to the nearest food: a small cafe in the back of a bookstore. He was bellied up to the bar ordering a flat white and perusing the menu when a splatter behind him caught his attention.

“Aww, fuuc—fudge. Shoot. Crap.” He couldn’t see the face spewing these middle school curse words, but the knot of light brown hair on top of the speaker’s head was kneeling, picking up a to-go cup and trying to mop up spilled coffee. He joined her with his own napkin after lifting the pile of books she had discarded out of harm's way and onto the bar. “Thanks,” she muttered as she returned to standing and dropped the sodden mess in the nearest trash can. Whipping her hands on a new napkin, she finally looked up and stopped in her tracks, “Stop. You?” She rolled her eyes, “of course.”

It took him a beat to register the change in appearance; a ski cap had covered her hair and ears, and she was no longer red-faced and yelling, but this was definitely Blue Leggings. She was now in a green turtleneck, dark jeans, and riding boots, carrying a heavy puffer jacket and wearing square, tortoiseshell glasses around her hazel eyes.

“Did you try to throw your coffee at me? Your aim with the water bottle was fairly impressive, but this needs work.” He smiled, his dimples every present and one eyebrow cocked. She hesitated, unwilling to let herself be drawn in, but begrudgingly, she smiled and reached for the books on the bar. “You were quite chatty in the park; nothing to say now?”

“Oh, I have plenty to say, just not to you.” Her hair was tumbling out of its tie, and she tried to fix it one-handed, the other grasping the pile of books and her jacket. The books slid out of her hands, and she let out an exasperated sigh, her hair still half up; Henry scooped up the books and handed them back to her silently. She started towards the register when he stopped her.

“I’m sorry about the park,” she glanced at him and let him continue, “it truly wasn’t what it seemed, but I see now why we both looked like creeps.” She held his gaze for a moment, trying to decide how to answer. 

Her hesitation gave him time to order her another drink... this time, in a regular mug. With his back turned to her to talk to the barista, she took him in quietly: his grey sweater struggling to contain his chest and arms, his well-cut jeans, and the one curl flopping into his eyes. Her coffee arrived on the counter next to his. He was staring at her; she could feel it. And she was taking far too long to make a decision. She dropped her jacket into the empty chair and pushed the books on top of it before taking a sip of the warm coffee she'd been looking forward to all day.

She surprised herself when she fell quickly and easily into conversation with him. It was likely the accent; she’d always swooned at an accent. They covered where he was from and why he was in town— long term work project in DC; just arrived last week, her job— high school math teacher, families— lots of brothers all back in the UK and one sister in Seattle, hobbies— fitness, their dogs, reading, cooking, and quite a bit in between over two cups of coffee before she finally squawked, “Shi—shoot. Oh, shoot. I’m trying to cut back on cursing; I come too close to cursing in front of students in my classroom. But I have to go.”

She was out of her seat before he could process what was happening, “are you alright?”

“It’s 6:30. I have 7 pm dinner reservations and am not dressed for it. Or packed. And Judy. Poor Judy hasn’t been out. Oh shit.”

“Shoot.”

She looked up at him while he held out her coat, “right,” she slid into it and pulled cash out of her wallet.

“It’s on me,” he gently pushed away the cash she was waving about, and she acquiesced easily with a quiet, “thanks," and a small smile. She gathered her books and turned to go. 

“Can I take you to dinner tomorrow?” He blurted to her back. 

“I can’t.” She turned halfway around, glancing at him but not holding his eyes.

“Saturday?”

“I'm out of town. Bachelorette party in Key West.” She fumbled in her pocket for gloves and tried to put them on, without success, while holding on to the pile of books in her arms. Once again, Henry stooped to pick them up and hand them to her. She was avoiding his eyes. 

He sighed and put his hands on her forearm, ducking his head to make eye contact, “I’d like to see you again.”

Again she hesitated. What about Brian? Brian, who had been in her life for the last four years, who was watching Judy while she was away, who had asked her to marry him twice and both times she refused, who had asked her to move in with him and she couldn't bring herself to do it…

And yet something in her told her she’d had more fun in the last two cups of coffee than she’d had in four years… “Tuesday. Churchkey on 14th Street. 7 pm.” She finally looked at him full in the face, "Just for a drink," she clarified.

He nodded, his face breaking into a grin, “Thanks for this afternoon.”

She couldn't help smiling at him. She’d been smiling all afternoon. Something she rarely did with Brian. Without letting herself think, she leaned forward and pecked him quickly on the cheek, “see you then.”

She wasn’t three steps away before he was at her side again, pushing in front of her and holding out his hand, “I’m Henry.”

“Ellie. Eleanor, but… just Ellie.”

—


	2. Chapter 2

#  2

After a sprint around the block with her black lab, Judy, and cursory response to Brian’s “haven’t heard from you all day, Nor :(“ text, and a quick costume change, Ellie was back out the door and in an Uber, tugging at her little black cocktail dress. It was the first night of Whitney’s bachelorette weekend. The bridesmaids had dutifully taken off Friday from their respective jobs, booked flights to Key West, and planned a ridiculous weekend for Whitney, the first of their little clique to get married. Tonight, the maid of honor had deemed “LBD night: Let Bitches Drink,” and everyone was required to wear their most sultry little black dress for dinner and dancing. 

Always the dutiful bridesmaid, Ellie had  [ donned a dress ](https://www.lulus.com/products/va-va-voom-black-backless-midi-dress/247570.html) buried deep in the back of her closet. From the front, it was a tastefully snug, high neck, long sleeve black dress. However, the back of the dress dipped low towards her tailbone, exposing her entire back. She’d only worn it once, for a Halloween costume, and tugged at it all through dinner. 

After arriving late for dinner and drinking far too much wine, they piled into a cab and arrived at SAX. Ellie was the only one who remembered to pay the cabbie and filled out last, past the bouncer, and into the luscious lounge. She’d always found it gaudy and spectacular every time she’d been to SAX for a show or a late night, and tonight was no different. Aerial performers dropped from the ceiling as house music pumped through the sound system. Once there was another round of drinks in them, champagne this time, several of the party hit the dance floor while Ellie made her way to the restroom to stand in line. 

“FUCK,” the woman in front of her sighed, draping herself over her friend, “I have to fuck him tonight.” 

The friend giggled, “you’re engaged, Bridget.”

Bridget sighed and tapped away at her phone, swaying in her heels; she thrust the phone at her friend, “but look at this man. He’s standing there at the bar right now, just waiting to be fucked. I’ll tell Ryan he’s my hall pass. Hall passes don’t count.”

The line moved slowly forward, and Bridget slipped in her heels, falling back onto Ellie. “Oh hey,” Ellie laughed, pushing Bridget upright and catching a glimpse of the picture on her phone. Her brow furrowed a bit, “sorry girls, I was definitely eavesdropping. Can I see the picture on your phone?”

Bridget grinned and threw her arm around Ellie before sliding through several Google Image results of the man she’d just had coffee with hours earlier. She’d sat with him for two hours, chatting and joking and flirting, and she’d never realized he was famous. He felt vaguely familiar but not easily identifiable to her. And he certainly hasn't mentioned it. She looked at her new bathroom line friends, “you said he’s your hall pass?”

Bridget drunk whispered in Ellie’s ear and pointed across the bar, “and he’s right over there. Henry fucking Cavill is here waiting for me to take him home.” Sure enough, she could see the mop of curls and his profile at the bar across the room. 

Ellie hesitated, helping Bridget forward again as the line moved, and decided it was worth the embarrassment, “... who is he?”

Bridget jumped away from her, “he’s Superman? Charles Brandon? Just a gorgeous panty-dropping human? He’s an actor. Oh my god. You don’t know. No. I cannot.” Bridget turned away from Ellie and back to her friend, who offered an amused smile. Mere seconds had passed when the friend finally got a bathroom stall, and Bridget turned back to Ellie, “I must have him,” she mused before her heels slid out from under her, and she landed on the bathroom floor. Ellie scooped her up and ushered her into the next available stall knowing she would likely never speak to this woman again. 

Waiting for her own stall, Ellie got lost in thought. His accent, his grin, his sweetness had captivated her this afternoon, encouraging her to drink multiple cups of coffee and forget to check her watch. She’d certainly felt an attraction to him and was grateful not to have found out of his fame in the moment. Her nerves fluttered in her stomach, thinking of the way he’d looked at her, rested his hand on the back of her chair, and made her laugh. She pushed back thoughts of Brian, the wine and champagne in her system making it easy. 

Ellie found herself triple-checking her makeup before leaving the bathroom. As casually as possible, she glanced towards the bar but didn’t spot Henry. Bridget and her friend were there, looking eagerly around the room, but no Henry, nor the men he’d been with. She sank back into the velvety cushion of their booth, falling into a conversation and two more glasses of champagne before she finally got up to dance with the rest of the girls. 

No sooner had her heels hit the dance floor than her gaze fell on Henry, standing on the other side of the room, grinning at her. He was in a dark button-down shirt, the top three buttons undone, and dark, snug jeans. He was standing with a group of men, some of whom she was sure she should recognize, but her lack of interest in movies and every growing list of shows her friends told her she “HAD to binge” left her without a ton of pop culture knowledge… like the hot actors of the moment. All she could think about right now was how handsome his smile was as he raised his glass, toasting her with a cheeky wink and taking a sip. 

Without thinking twice, she sauntered towards him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him towards her. His eyebrows shot up, and the highball in his hand spilled slightly, but he let Ellie pull his chest against hers, her hands landing on his biceps. “I thought I couldn’t see you tonight,” he smiled at her.

“You got lucky,” she grinned, the bubbles from the champagne filling her head and stamping down her inhibitions. Ellie smoothed her hand up to his bicep and onto his chest, just next to the open buttons at his collar. His eyes never left hers. “Dance with me.”

Henry’s laugh was throaty and clearly full of his own buzz, “I don’t have any rhythm, Ellie,” he muttered, taking another sip of his drink. 

In response, Ellie turned around and leaned her back into his powerful chest, finding his free hand and putting it on her hip before she reached around and found his hip, pushing it in time to the music. She looked over her shoulder at him while she moved their hips in sync, “just move with me,” and tipped her hips back into him. 

It took him a few minutes to fall in rhythm with her, but when he did, he tightened his grip on Ellie’s hips and leaned closer over her shoulder. She could feel his breath on her neck and cool drops of the melting ice each time he took a sip of his drink. Every few minutes, their bodies pressed closer together, his arm pulling her more tightly towards him while she leaned more weight against his chest. They stayed connected, dancing for an interminable amount of time before he pulled away, shoving his empty glass on the nearest flat surface, and coming back, this time pulling Ellie around to face him.

He lifted her arms up and over his shoulders, slid his hands over her waist, and pulled her hips against him; his silver belt buckle pressed into her stomach. His hands were at the base of her exposed back, and his fingertips grazed her skin, “This dress…” he started before his sentence fell away into the noise of the club; he cocked his eyebrow in the same incredibly sexy way he’d done over coffee and pressed his forehead against Ellie’s. 

His breath smelled of whiskey, and his slightly red eyes gave away his own state of inebriation. Ellie knew she’d have a headache in the morning. She knew she was drunk, and she felt freer than she had in ages. And yet, somewhere in the back of Ellie’s head, she knew she shouldn't be here. She knew she shouldn’t be in the arms of another man, dancing this close, feeling her heart flutter, but she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to stop. Ever. 

When was the last time she felt like this? 

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Henry’s nose nuzzling hers, a silent request to kiss her. She pulled her forehead away from his and grasped the back of his neck, reaching up on her toes to whisper in his ear, “not like this.” She couldn’t help but sigh when his hand ran up her back to her neck and gently pulled back.

“Like what?”

“I”m drunk, Henry. You’re drunk. Don’t kiss me like this.” His gaze was intense and smoldering. She started to move her hands to his chest to push away, the magic of the last half hour falling away. 

He held her; it was gentle but commanding, “Don’t you want me to kiss you?”

Ellie dropped her eyes and slid her hands down his chest, resting on his waist, “more than you know. I don’t want you to kiss me the first time when I’m drunk in a club.”

He grinned, bobbing his head to catch her eye, “the first time? Will there be more than one time?”

Ellie felt heat grow in her cheeks and stepped back; this time, he let her. She was embarrassed but also returning to reality. The bubble they’d made of just the two of them, moving together in a rhythm, holding each other, had popped. She was reminded that she wasn’t 19 anymore; she was 26- an adult, a teacher, a tax-paying member of society- and Henry was all but a stranger, yet she’d just spent the time in his arms imagining so many scenarios with him. 

Without knowing exactly what to do, she smiled up at him weakly and moved away from him towards the table of her friends. The ones who weren’t on the dance floor were quite obviously watching the interaction between them. Ellie could feel Henry following her, and he grasped her arm lightly, pulling her into a corner, “I want to see you again,” he repeated his line from the coffeeshop, putting his hands back on her waist. She felt her body react before her brain could stop her, and she leaned up into him as his pants vibrated. He reached into his front pocket and yanked out his phone, not breaking his eye contact with Ellie, and ended the vibrating. He started to shove it back in his pocket when she snatched it from him, tapping quickly and adding her contact information. She slid it back into the front pocket of his jeans and leaned up to kiss his cheek again as she had in the bookstore, this time with one hand lingering on the exposed skin of his chest. 

“I’ll see you Tuesday,” she said before pulling away and walking towards her table of friends, not without a final glance over her shoulder at him. He was watching her carefully until she disappeared through the crowd. 

When she got back to her friends, Ellie grabbed her clutch from the pile on the seat and pulled out her phone. She had several messages, mostly from her girlfriends trying to figure out where she was or who would help the bride get sick in the bathroom. 

One was from an unsaved number. She opened it and couldn’t stop the grin as she read:  **you’re stunning in that dress. i can’t wait to kiss you goodnight on tuesday.**

She felt her friends' eyes on her and held up her hand to stop the barrage of questions they started when she finally looked up. They settled before Alyssa finally spoke up with a giggle, “sooo is Easy Ellie back? We haven't seen her in years.”

Ellie tensed slightly when a blush crept up her neck but brushed past the nickname they’d given her long ago. She’d grown up since then. She wasn’t that girl anymore. 

“And Henry Cavill no less? Girl, your comeback game is strong.” 

She followed their stares across the room where he was back with his friends, his back to her but the rest of the men looking in her direction, “we met earlier today and had coffee. He’s the reason I was late to dinner,” she said before glancing back down at her phone to read the last message. 

It was from Brian. She didn’t open it. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm happy to see this story start to pick up some momentum with readers! 
> 
> This chapter has a little necessary scene-setting and background with Brian and Ellie's relationship... but don't worry, our boy will show up. And he'll be the main event next chapter :)

#  3

After a blurry weekend of booze, bars, and the beach, the girls each tumbled off the plane and into cabs to go home and chug Gatorade and hope their hangovers wouldn’t kill them Monday morning. Ellie’s cab pulled up outside Brian’s apartment building, and she rode up the elevator in nervous silence. 

They’d only exchanged a few brief texts since she'd dropped Judy off Friday morning. It was now 8 pm Sunday, and her mind was cloudy from a weekend of drinking too much, the Sunday Scaries, and seeing Brian. 

She knocked briefly, leaning on the handle of her suitcase while she waited for him to answer. He could hear Judy barking inside and the sound of Brian’s footsteps and Judy’s pitter-patter-y paws across the tile floor. The door flung open, and Judy pounced before Brian could, tail flailing and knocking Ellie’s suitcase over, covering her in kisses while Ellie cooed, “I missed you, my baby,” and nuzzled against her soft fur. 

“I missed you too,” Brian grinned at her and yanked Ellie towards him, kissing her hard on the mouth, his arms wrapped tight around her waist. Ellie pulled back softly, feigning embarrassment to be kissing in the hallway, and stepped through the threshold. “You must’ve been busy all weekend; I hardly heard from you,” he continued as he pulled her luggage into the foyer only to have Judy’s excitement knock it over again. 

“Yeah,” Ellie said passively, sitting on the welcome mat to play with Judy, “It was chaotic.”

She couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with him. All weekend she’d avoided his texts, only responding enough to keep him from getting too worried while feverishly responding to Henry. She’d stayed up late each night texting Henry, flirting too much and relishing the feeling of her stomach in butterflies while waiting for his reply. Every time she hit that little blue send button, she knew she was wrong and was flooded with guilt. And every time she saw  **HC** pop up on her home screen, she didn’t care.

“Stay with me tonight,” Brian called from the kitchen; she heard the familiar pop of a wine bottle opening.

“It’s a school night, and I don’t have anything to wear. Besides, if I’m really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight,” Ellie said, rising to her feet as he came out of the kitchen and offered her a glass of wine. 

“Oh, come on, I’m sure you’re not that tired to make time for me.” 

“Brian, I--”

“Take the wine, Ellie. You haven’t talked to me all weekend, and I watched your dog because I just love you so much,” he thrust a glass at her and pouted, “I think you kind of owe me, baby.”

She stared at him, not sure how to answer as he pushed the glass into her hands, Pinot Noir splashing out of it and onto her sweater. She broke eye contact when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She knew exactly who it was, and her fingers itched to answer it. But she stamped down the feeling and looked back and Brian, “I’ll stay for a glass of wine,” she walked past him into the living room, and he swatted her ass as she passed him. 

“I knew I could wear you down.” He collapsed next to her on the sofa and put his feet in her lap before starting in on a list of things he and Judy had done together. He made sure to include both their romps in the park as well as the shoes she had ruined when he accidentally left her locked in the bedroom for hours.

When he finally got up to use the bathroom, Ellie pulled out her phone. 

**HC: flight get in okay? been thinking of you…**

**E: all good. i’m ready to be home with my girl; Ellie** responded and was surprised by how fast he returned a text. 

**HC: oh good, you’re alive.**

**E: sorry, picking up Judy from a friend’s**

**HC: i think Judy should stay with Kal next time you go away. he could use someone to cuddle.**

**E: but if i go away, who will cuddle you?** She couldn’t stop the grin on her face and didn’t hear Brian come back into the room. 

“What’s so interesting,” he reached for her phone. 

She clicked off the screen and stashed it in her pocket, “just the group chat trying to decide if they’re still drunk.”

He looked at her for a beat before shrugging, “I’m sure you’re tired of wearing those clothes. Let’s get you to bed.”

She stood up before Brian’s hands could reach her, “I really really want to go home. I just need to wake up in my own space to go to work.”

He pouted again, “you’ve gone to work from here before; do you not love me anymore?”

“Brian, don’t do this right now.”He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her, his hands wandering over her body and up the front of her shirt, “Bri, come on.”

“Fine,” he snapped, pushing her away, “go home.” Brian turned his back to her faster than she could respond, and he went into his room, the door shutting behind him. 

She sighed.  _ Was it always like this _ ? Ellie thought to herself as she leashed Judy and went back outside. It was a chilly December night, and she shivered, wishing she had her heavy winter coat with her to walk the four blocks home. Her mind raced, thinking back on her relationship with Brian and trying to determine: had their relationship always been this strained, or was it just because she’d found someone who made her feel important. She was lost in thought when Judy started tugging hard and yipping, making Ellie have to speed up. “Girl, easy,” she called, “I’m not dressed for a run,” she gave her leash a light tug and stopped walking to reign her in. 

She heard a deep bark across the street, and Judy lost it, flailing excitedly as she always did for a potential friend. “Judy Blume,” Ellie snapped, “sit!” She stared down at the dog with her best alpha look, and Judy reluctantly dropped her butt to the sidewalk, her tail still thumping and a whine coming from her throat. 

From behind Ellie, she heard, “Fuck,” followed by, “he’s really friendly!” and the sound of both a human and dog running across the street before a massive black and white furball collided with Judy, causing Ellie to drop the leash and the two dogs tumbled around on the sidewalk.

“Kal, get over here, fuck, I’m so sorry. He’s normally so good. KAL!” She knew that voice anywhere. 

“Henry?” He was in sweatpants and a heavy coat, a beanie covering his curls. He clearly hadn’t noticed Ellie but was instead focused on detangling his large dog. With a hand finally on Kal’s collar, he looked up. 

“What are the chances,” he broke into a grin, wrapping Kal’s leash tighter around his hand, “and here I thought you might be avoiding me.”

Ellie reached down and pulled Judy’s lead off the ground, “why would I avoid you?”

“You left me hanging; I thought I scared you away.” At her confused look, Henry added, “my last text?”

“Oh! I put it away after my last message, I haven’t…” her voice dropped off as she pulled her phone out and opened the message. Suddenly she was grateful not to be standing under a streetlamp as a blush crept up her cheeks, and she cleared her throat, “well then.”    
  
“Too much too soon?” His eyes were sincere as he stared at her; how could he possibly be this genuine. 

She smiled and shook her head, “no, I just--” she cut herself off as a gust of wind cut through the air, and she shivered, thankful for the distraction. Within seconds of her shiver, his jacket was off, and he was practically forcing her arms into it. Henry was left in a light cotton t-shirt but true to his trade: he acted warm as he insisted on walking them home and dragging Ellie’s suitcase behind him. They fell into an immediate conversation for the last two blocks. They stopped at the brick wall surrounding her complex’s garden, and she took off his coat. 

“I’m really glad Kal attacked you,” he cut the distance between them in half when he stepped closer to take the coat from her hands. 

“Tuesday can’t come soon enough,” she sighed, trying not to lean into him. 

“How about dinner with those drinks?” Henry cocked his eyebrow; it’s like he knew it made her knees weak, and yet she hesitated, breaking eye contact. 

“I’m not sure,” she looked at Judy’s purple leash in her hands and played with the loop, “I think maybe drinks are best for now.”

Henry stepped back and nodded, slipping the coat on, “Tell you what, I’ll be at Estadio at 7 on Tuesday.”

Ellie raised her eyebrows, “we’re supposed to meet at Churchkey at 7.”

He feigned innocence, “oh, that’s right, drinks were at 7… but I made a 7 pm reservation at Estadio. I’ll be there if you decided to join me, and if I end up dining alone, I’ll still meet you at Churchkey… at 8:30.”

She couldn’t help but smile, “you think you’re realllllly smooth, don’t you, Cavill.”   
  


He didn’t respond but caught her off guard when he wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. His cheek lingered against hers, and she held onto his waist, “you’re freezing, and it’s a school night,” he pulled back, rubbing her arms and looking at her intensely. “Get inside.” 

“Goodnight, Henry. And Kal,” she leaned down to kiss Kal’s grinning face and walked up the steps and opened the door. 

“Ellie,” he called; he’d been watching to be sure she got in the door safely. She turned back. “Tuesday night, bring a jacket. I don’t want one of us getting frostbite when I’m kissing you goodnight.”

  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends, unfortunately, I lied to you last chapter. I sat down to write this with one intention and a whole different storyline tumbled out instead. Henry is here, but I ended up including more build-up when I started typing. I've already drafted the next chapter though and I DO promise that HC is front and center :)

# 4 

Monday and Tuesday workdays were a blur as Ellie reacclimated to normal life at school. She’d collapsed into bed Monday evening at an embarrassingly early hour and hadn’t spoken to Henry or Brian all day. She awoke Tuesday morning to messages from both of them. 

**Brian: i hope you're not mad at me, i was just sad you didn’t stay with me**

Ellie sighed heavily but didn’t respond right away; she didn’t have any idea what to say to that, so she moved on to Henry’s

**HC: ugh, i had a grueling day. i wish i could see you**

As usual, Ellie’s heart sped up, reading his messages. This man that she’d met not even a week ago had completely captivated her attention. She didn’t respond to him either, trying to come up with the perfect, flirty reply as she got ready for the day. She finally sent Brian a quick response: **we’re good** before she headed into school; it wasn’t until her planning period that she finally responded to Henry. 

**Ellie: you’ll see me tonight**

**HC: for dinner?**

**Ellie: you’ll have to wait and see**

This coy, flirty, forward girl hadn’t been around in years. Ellie missed this feeling. She missed flirting, she missed the fun, she missed conversations that didn’t end up reminding each other about their flaws… she missed really good sex. She knew that some of that was the normal wear and tear of a relationship. No one can stay in the honeymoon phase forever, and eventually, you’ve heard all of each other’s stories. But Ellie was positive it wasn’t supposed to be this vanilla. It hadn’t always been. 

In college, Brain and Ellie had met in a creative writing class sophomore year when they were partnered to review each other’s assignments. Ellie had written a short, slightly provocative, and lustful story. Brian had written about aliens. Over the course of several weeks, they were supposed to meet regularly to review, revise, and improve their stories with the help of their partner. Instead, they met regularly to day drink and see how much they could flirt without actually hooking up. They’d run into each other at parties and bars for the next 2.5 years and continue the same pattern: drink, flirt, make eyes at each other, but never hook up. At the time, Ellie felt like it was the most exciting experience of her life to have this constant sexual tension, the boundaries of which they were always pushing. Her heart would race when she’d see him across the bar. She’d openly flirt with him in front of other girls he’d come to parties with. It wasn’t until they were 22 and recent graduates when they bumped into each other at a CVS that they had started dating. It had been off and on for the first year and a half before Ellie finally stayed with him. 

Ellie’s butterflies at the idea of meeting Henry turned into full panic when she got home. She immediately called Whitney and frantically asked her to meet at Ellie’s apartment… and bring an armful of date clothes. 

When Whitney arrived, Ellie was in the middle of her bedroom, clothes strewn about every inch of space, and standing in her bra and underwear. “Help,” she turned to her friend. 

Whitney laughed, “so all you said was ‘bring date clothes immediately, I need help’ and then hung up. I’m going to need more information on why you’re in a panic to date your boyfriend.” Ellie grimaced and didn’t make eye contact with Whitney; she fiddled with the fabric of the skirt she’d been holding up. Whitney caught on fast, “... or not your boyfriend?”

Ellie nodded and looked up, “not my boyfriend…”

“Oh SHIT,” Whitney said excitedly, clapping her hands together and dumping the totes of clothes on the bed, “do you have wine? I feel like this is a conversation for wine. What am I saying, of course you have wine. Talk loudly, I’m going to pour,” she disappeared back into the kitchen, Judy following her expectantly. Ellie didn’t speak up right away while she started to pull clothes out of the bag. “SPILL,” Whitney shouted from the kitchen. 

Ellie threw on an oversized sweater to wander out in the kitchen and take the glass Whitney offered, “I’m not sure where to start.”

“Well, are you still with Brian? Did something happen?”

“No, we’re still... together. I just think I might’ve met someone.”

“Go on,” Whitney said eagerly, crawling onto Ellie’s bed and making space for Judy at her feet. 

Ellie laughed, “why do you look so excited?”

“Girl, I’m getting married in a week to the same person I’ve been with since freshman year. You cheating on your boyfriend with someone else is exactly the kind of escapism I need from wedding planning.”

Ellie glared at her, “I am not cheating. It’s complicated.”

“Explain it then,” Whitney challenged, taking a deep sip. “Last I knew, you’d been with Brian for and didn’t seem to be going anywhere.”

“How did you know you were in love? That you wanted to marry Tyler?” Ellie asked abruptly, looking up at Whitney shyly. 

Whitney shifted around, pulling a pillow onto her lap and leaning her head back against the headboard, “Where is this coming from? What is going on?”

Ellie sighed, “I don’t know if Brian is right for me anymore.” Whitney snorted and quickly tried to cover it with a cough. Ellie, however, didn’t miss it, “what does that mean?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. I know this isn’t the answer you want, but I just knew. I just felt it with Tyler. I didn’t try to hide from him; I didn’t want anything more than to make him happy, even when I hated him. I can see him with our babies and traveling together in our retirement. I can picture him at cookouts and parent-teacher conferences. I want him by my side when tragedy strikes.” Whitney sighed wistfully, her face slipping into a blissful grin. “I can’t wait to marry him.” 

Ellie sat down next to her and grinned, “he always seems to make you happy.”

Whitney nodded, “always. Even the days I want to pull out his stupid hair because he’s such an idiot. At the end of the day, being with him on bad days is 100x better than being without him.”

“I don’t feel that,” Ellie whispered. Whitney avoided eye contact; it seemed as though she was avoiding rolling her eyes. 

She regrouped, “tell me about this guy,” she grinned and winked; as she did, Ellie’s phone vibrated on her dresser. 

**HC: i have to wait to see if you show up?**

**Ellie: isn’t it more fun when you don’t know what to expect?**

**HC: Ellie…**

**HC: are you going to make me admit i’m nervous?**

Ellie’s grin felt like it would break her face, and Whitney threw a pillow at her while simultaneously launching off the bed and snatching the phone from Ellie’s grasp. “Is this him?”

She asked as she started to scroll through their conversation. Ellie reached for the phone, and Whitney swatted her away, scanning the messages. She whipped around, her eyes and mouth both showing her shock. 

“Eleanor Rebecca Banks,” she said slowly, “you are going on a date with this?” She thrust the phone back in Ellie’s face: a selfie he’d sent her from the gym locker room, covered in sweat, his muscles bulging, and in only his sweatpants displayed on the screen.

Ellie nodded, and Whitney kept scrolling, “how did you… what is… I don’t… oh my... “ she sputtered, “Ellie. Is this Henry Cavill? Do you have semi-naked pictures of Henry Cavill? Have you SENT semi-naked pictures of yourself to HENRY CAVILL? Oh my god, El, I forget you’re this hot,” With a sheepish grin, Ellie nodded again, taking the phone out of Whitney’s hands. 

“We met last week Thursday, and things have just kind of… escalated.”

Whitney plopped down on the bed, “how did I not know about this yet? And last Thursday is already getting bikini pictures… is this Easy Ellie?”

“Do NOT call me that,” Ellie snapped, “But you didn’t know because I met him and then immediately spent all weekend drunk with you in Key West.”

“Was this who you were constantly texting and smiling at all weekend? I assumed you were doing something kinky with Brain.”

Ellie shook her head, “not Brian,” she looked up at her friend and groaned, “Whit, what am I doing.”

Whitney gestured wildly at Ellie’s phone, “well, first, you’re not going to leave that man hanging. You’re going to tell him you’re meeting him for dinner.”

**Ellie: i’m not sure…** she let that message linger for a few minutes, waiting for the indication that he was typing before she sent a follow up: **that i’ll ever figure out what to wear for dinner**

His typing stopped and then restarted; HC **: wear sweatpants. wear a chicken suit. wear nothing. I’m just glad you’ll be there.**

Ellie dropped her phone on her bed and stared at Whitney, “I feel guilty because I don’t feel one bit guilty.”

“About Brian?”

“About Brian. I don’t feel any guilt going on this date.”

Whitney nodded, “Why don’t you break it off then.”

Ellie groaned, “He’s so… It’s just that…” She put her head in her hands, “I don’t know.”

Whitney nodded again and sat, thinking for a few moments before she started rifling through the clothes on the bed. She picked up one of her own sweaters, a tight black one, and one of Ellie’s skirts, a short, tan, wool skirt. She handed them to Ellie, “wear this with your over-the-knee suede boots. No tights. And for now, just… just see what happens. It’s just dinner.”

Ellie nodded, “What if Brian finds out?” She twisted her hands together.

“The worst-case scenario here is what?” Whitney shrugged, “He breaks up with you?”

“I don’t know. I guess. He’s just so…” 

Whitney grabbed her shoulders, “Go flirt with a very sexy man. Brian will live if he finds out. Although he’ll tell you he won’t,” she didn’t hide her eye roll. 

Throwing back the last of the wine in her glass, she started to change before Whitney cut her off again, “no period panties for this date,” she said, pointing at her beige underwear. 

“He’s not going to see me in my underwear, Whit.”

Whitney dug around in Ellie’s top drawer and pulled out a handful of black lace, throwing it at Ellie, “it’ll make you feel sexy. Do it.” Ellie changed and came out of the bathroom feeling confident. She took a moment to notice that it wasn’t a feeling she frequently felt anymore. She walked Whitney to the door and hugged her friend tightly, promising her details. She started to shut the door behind Whitney when she heard her friend's voice, “Oh, Brian. You scared me, hi.”

Brian offered a quick response to her before pushing Ellie’s door all the way open, “Baby,” he exclaimed, thrusting roses at her. “Nor, babe, I’m sorry I stormed off on you last night. I just feel so distant from you.” 

He was all the way in the apartment and putting a bottle of Veuve in the fridge along with a bakery box. Upon standing back up, he strode toward her and wrapped her up tightly, “I just feel like there is something wrong with you.”

She pulled away, making a face at him, “What?” 

He kissed her and didn’t acknowledge her reaction; his hands were already pulling her sweater up, “You look so fucking sexy,” he knelt and kissed her stomach, “Although I can feel that booze from this weekend,” he smiled at her, grabbing a pinch of the skin on her stomach. She pulled back, clearly angry, and stretched her sweater back down. 

“Wow. Okay. Well, Brian, you need to leave. I’m just headed out.” She opened the door and waited for him to go. 

His mood changed swiftly, and from where he was on his knees, he folded his hands together, “I’m sorry. You just need to calm down and forgive me. I forgive you for ignoring me; you were trying to have fun with your friends. I forgive you for not thanking me for watching your dog. I love you.” His face twisted into a pout, and he crawled forward, wrapping his arms around her knees. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I need to be somewhere. I can’t do this right now,” she checked her watch: 7 pm. 

“Where are you going? Don’t leave me,” she could tell he thought he was teasing; he thought he was cute. Maybe once upon a time, it would’ve been. 

“Some… people are expecting me at dinner. I need to go. I’m already late.” Ellie couldn’t even look at him. 

“Baby, please,” he kissed her thighs, reaching up her skirt. She smacked his hand. 

“No, I have to go.”

“Fine,” he was on his feet and leaning closer to her, “where are you going? To fuck someone? You look like you’re ready to be fucked.”

She continued to refuse eye contact, “when you leave tonight, don’t come back.” 

“So you are fucking someone,” he closed the distance between them, “Once a slut, always a slut, am I right? It’s not like I didn’t know you’ve been cheating on me. You always liked to be fucked by whoever was willing.”

Ellie smacked him straight across the face and held back the tears stinging the back of her eyes, “I never cheated on you, and I am not going to _fuck_ someone.” 

Brian laughed harshly, “How am I supposed to believe that. I picked you up drunk on a Thursday morning buying Plan B at a CVS. You fucked me in the parking lot.”

She couldn't stop the tears, “I did not sleep with you in the parking lot! We waited weeks before we slept together.”

“That’s not the way I remember it. Why are you getting so defensive? We remember it differently. I remember you as a slut, and you… blocked it out.”

She pushed him back away from her and hated herself for the angry, hot tears running down her face, “You need to leave. We’re done.”

“We’re not done,” he growled deeply. “But I’ll let you go fuck your little friend, and we’ll talk about this when you’re not so crazy.”

Ellie shoved him hard, pushing him towards the door, and Judy came out of the bedroom, muttering a low growl. She got the door to the hallway open and grunted, “Leave. Now.”

He was stronger than her, though, and he resisted. He turned back to face her and cupped her chin in his hands, holding it tightly. With his other hand, he yanked her skirt up over her hips and exposed the lacy black thong she was wearing, “yup. Easy Ellie’s at it again. That’s how we got together. I shouldn’t be surprised.” He roughly yanked on the strap of her underwear, and she heard it rip. 

Judy lunged at him, barking and snapping her jaws, and Ellie finally got him out the door, slamming it behind him and throwing the deadbolt. 

She sat on the doormat, numbly crying and petting Judy for a long time. Her mind was lost in thought. Sure, she’d spent some time in college experimenting and drinking a lot, but a lot of people did. Brian had been the one to name her Easy Ellie, and at the time, she chose to wear it like a badge of honor instead of admitting that it was soul-crushing and humiliating. She still didn’t like to admit it out loud. And yes, when they met again in that CVS, she’d been a tailspin. But she’d pulled herself together. She’d started seeing a therapist. She was working on herself. She’d stopped drinking so much… until the last year or so. Was she one of those women? Was she the kind of woman who doesn't know when to get out? Was she trapped? Had she just been blind to this for so long? How long had their relationship been like this? Did her friends see it? Is the toxicity of her relationship why this new thing with Henry was so… 

“Oh my god,” she said out loud, jumping off the floor and reaching for her phone. She had six missed texts, and 2 missed calls from him. It was 8:00 already. Without a jacket, without her purse, without anything but her phone and her keys, without a glance in the mirror, she flew out the door and down the stairs, praying that she wouldn’t run into Brian and ran the four blocks to Estadio. She bounded in the door of the restaurant and looked frantically around while she waited for a hostess. She couldn't see him anywhere, and the hostess said that a man had come in for a 7 pm reservation but had left about 30 minutes ago. On Ellie’s way down the street to Churchkey, she started calling him repeatedly, not leaving a voicemail but calling one after another, but he didn’t answer. 

She ran up the stairs to the bar at Churchkey and saw him sitting alone. He was in a crisp white button-down and dinner jacket with no tie. His hair was neatly combed back, still allowing one curl to flop on his forehead the way she’d told him she liked it. He looked unbelievably handsome. And sad. His phone was sitting next to a martini glass on the bar; he’d seen her call but didn’t answer. “Henry,” she said quietly, touching his arm. 

“You know,” he started without looking at her and taking a long drag of the martini, “I just like people who keep their word.”

“I am so sorry. I don’t know how--”

“Do you know that some photographers showed up? While I was sitting alone at a table for two? Someone must’ve tipped them off that I was there… being stood up.” He still wasn’t looking at her; she’d hurt him. “I don’t actually mind the part where you stood me up. And even the pictures will go away. But I don’t like that I trusted you. I thought this was different. I don’t open myself up to many people.”

“I didn’t mean to--” she dropped her head and pulled her hand off his arm, twisting her fingers and willing herself not to cry. 

Henry sighed, and she felt her eyes on him, but she didn’t look up, “I think I just got caught up in something new and sexy. I got caught up imagining something fresh with you, but I should know better than to rush into things. I feel a bit funny saying this, but you felt kind of safe.” His voice wasn’t harsh or nasty; it hadn’t been the entire conversation. Ellie believed he was speaking from the heart. “I think this might not have been a good idea.”

Ellie sighed and looked up at him. She didn’t try to stop the tears… tonight had been a lot, “I wish I could explain tonight in a way that makes sense, but it doesn’t even make sense to me right now. I’m just so sorry.”

He stared at her for a while, taking in the mascara and tears running down her face, her sweater half-tucked into her skirt and her skirt askew, a scrap of black fabric hanging between her legs. He was clearly taken aback, “Are you… are you alright?” 

She shook her head honestly and stood up, “I’m not. It’s been a really overwhelming night. I’m sorry I let you down.”  
  


Henry was on his feet too and grabbed her lightly by the shoulders; she flinched, and he dropped his hands, “What happened?” His mood had immediately changed. She’d broken his trust-- something he didn’t hand out lightly to begin with-- and hurt him, but his concern was still apparent. 

Ellie grabbed a bar napkin and swiped at her eyes, “I need to go home.”

“Ellie--”

“No,” she smiled weakly at him, “you’re right. It was a lot too soon, and we both got caught up. This wasn’t a good idea.”

A little voice in Ellie’s head was screaming, _don’t be proud! Admit what’s going on! He might still care! Don’t walk away to protect your pride!_ as she walked down the stairs and back out into the cold night. 

But as always, she didn’t listen to the voice in her head. She just walked home to Judy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two different songs are mentioned in this chapter. In the event you've never heard of them, here are links to both: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3-hY-hlhBg 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsXCfx7pyTU

5

When he’d gotten home from the bar, Henry had sent Ellie a text, asking if she got home okay. She’d responded briefly, and they hadn’t spoken again. 

It was over a week later, and he was still a jumble of emotions. He was angry and hurt that she’d set him up for embarrassment; the pictures of him alone at the table with two full wine glasses and an expectant, doofy grin on his face had circulated on social media for a few days but generally gone away quickly. His ego, on the other hand, was still bruised. But yet, she was still in his head every day. He’d thought about reaching out to her but stopped himself every time. He threw himself headlong into his project and went home each night to Kal and an empty apartment. 

How could he get this hung up on a girl in just a week? What was it about her? He found himself itching to text her and flipping through the pictures she’d sent him her weekend away. Her back to the camera in a hot pink bikini, the strings to the top hanging loosely at her sides while she grinned over her shoulder wearing an obscene blow-up penis hat. She and one of the other women-- the bride-- at dinner; Ellie in a beautiful, long, low-cut, deep purple dress. One in jean shorts and a tank top, sunglasses hiding her eyes, pointing excitedly at Superman paraphernalia in a shop window... They’d spent a lot of that weekend sending silly, slightly provocative pictures to each other. But they’d also spent a lot of that weekend talking. He’d talked more to her in those three days, via text, than he had to his co-stars in the three weeks he’d been here. They hadn’t met online, but Henry was starting to understand how online dating might work… you could connect that way. Without the embarrassment of making eye contact or having to feel yourself blush, you could say things you might not normally say. His ego hadn’t gotten in the way when it was just words on a screen. He’d allowed himself to be vulnerable. 

He’d assumed she was too. Now, Henry couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something bigger than him going on in Ellie’s life, and it had culminated that Tuesday evening. He’d made a point of taking Kal’s longer walks past her apartment building-- always on the other side of the road and never looking directly at the door, but trying to see if a chance meeting might happen again. Maybe if he ran into her “accidentally,” they could talk in person and not try to reconnect through technology. Maybe he could figure out what had happened last week. 

Sitting in that bar, he hadn’t been ready to hear it; she’d embarrassed him; she needed to be pushed away. The end. But after some time to digest and think back on the way she looked… She was over an hour late and clearly disheveled. The tears she had spilled were not just for him. She’d been crying already; he was sure of it. 

It was Thursday evening when Henry sat alone in a small Chinese restaurant by his apartment, waiting for his order to be ready, when the bell over the door rang, and a short brunette came in. Henry recognized her but couldn’t place it. He bent back over his phone, scanning emails and deciding which to respond to when she plopped into the seat next to him. He could feel her staring at him from the corner of his eyes, and finally, he looked up at her and gave a quick smile and, “Hello.”

“I’m sorry to bother you,” she started, and Henry thought,  _ here we go; put on your fan face _ , “you’re Henry Cavill, right?”

He took a beat to pull himself together before offering her his fan grin, “I am,” he reached out his hand, “and you are?”

She shook it but jumped over his question, flipping through her phone, “I think you know my friend Ellie, right?” She held up the picture he’d looked at not three hours ago… Ellie in the purple dress with another woman. 

“You’re the bride… um…” 

She nodded, “I’m Whitney. And I’m so glad I ran into you. We need to talk.” Henry sighed, not sure if he wanted to get into whatever this was with a stranger. His face must’ve given him away, “I’m a bride. I’m getting married Saturday. You can’t say no to me,” she grinned. 

He smiled back and nodded, “can’t argue with that logic. Go on.”

“So here’s the thing,” she readjusted in her seat, so she was facing him entirely, “Ellie is… a lot is going on in her world right now that she will never admit to anyone. I only know it because I’ve happened to stumble into the right place at the right time and could get her to talk. I heard about last week, and I normally wouldn’t meddle-- and I know that’s what everyone says-- but I just need you to know that there is a story behind it that isn’t mine to tell, but you need to hear. I’m not entirely sure how you get her to talk, but I’m going to let you figure that you. Just… just don’t quit on her. I’ve known her since the first day of college. I’ve seen her through a  _ lot _ of shit. She’s deep in something complicated right now. She’s scared and just needs to know someone good is there to catch her when she finally figures it out.”

Henry listened carefully, nodding and trying to take it all in. Whitney continued, “if you’re not the guy to catch her, then by all means disappear. But I think you are. I’m a terribly nosy friend, and I read a bunch of your messages. You’re either an incredibly good liar and actor-- which I know is your job but also… you know… anyway. Or you’re into her. For literally anyone else, I’d roll my eyes when I heard someone say they were this smitten after like… six days. But El is just… she’s Eleanor. She sees something in you. She admitted to liking you. That is not a thing that Eleanor Banks does lightly. I’m blowing up her spot by telling you this, but I can’t stand the idea of her stupid stubbornness being the reason she misses out.”

“Order for Cavill,” the man behind the counter held out a bag to Henry, and he stood up to receive it. He turned back to Whitney, “She hasn’t reached out to me; how do I know I won’t get… How do I know she’ll respond to me.” 

Whitney looked pensive for several seconds before her eyes lit up, “are you willing to make a grand gesture?”

\--

The bridal party trickled into the cocktail hour of Whitney and Tyler’s reception one by one; they’d finished their pictures and were released to check makeup and start enjoying their evening. Ellie was grateful for Whitney’s refusal of all things traditional, so there would be no announcing the bridal party, no assigned seats, no formal sit down anything… just one huge cocktail party. That didn’t stop all of Ellie’s nerves, though. She thought she’d drawn a clear line in the sand with Brian that he was no longer invited to the wedding and that she wanted nothing to do with him. So she was here alone, wandering in by herself and making her way to the bar. 

She hesitated when the bartender asked for her drink; should she drink? She hadn’t had a drop since that Tuesday night, and being clear-headed was a nice change of pace. She and her therapist had spoken extensively about how much she’d been drinking in the last 18 months and how much it impacted her judgment and seeing things clearly. “Just a seltzer and lime, please.” She decided, smiling at him and waiting for him to pour. 

By the time the bride and groom came in, Ellie felt more comfortable; she found a table with several of their college friends and didn’t feel quite so alone. She’d even almost pushed Henry out of her mind too… 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the DJ crooned, “the bride and groom would like to invite you to the dance floor as they have their first dance as husband and wife.” 

Obediently, Ellie made her way with the rest of the bridal party as the opening notes of “It Had to Be You” played over the speakers. Watching contentedly, Ellie saw the grins on the bride and groom’s faces and felt an overwhelming sense of contentment seeing one of her dearest friends so very happy. A few minutes into the song, the DJ invited “all the couples in love” to the dance floor, and Ellie made a quick retreat towards the food stations. 

From behind her, she felt a hand rest on her mid-back, and she froze. Then she heard the voice as he quoted, “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns…” Ellie was still unwilling to turn around; she wasn’t sure how to manage this. Especially not here. Why was he here? How did he know where she was? “Dance with me,” he had stepped closer and whispered in her ear, “we can talk later.” 

She finally turned around and could hear nothing but her heart pounding in her ear. He was in a well-cut, charcoal suit, a neat white shirt, and a black tie. His hair was neat but in its naturally curly state. He held out his hand, and she stepped to him, letting him lead her to the dance floor. He positioned them right next to Whitney and Tyler, both of whom grinned at her; Whitney stage-whispered, “you’re welcome,” with a wink before kissing her new husband. 

Henry’s large hands were at her waist, and instinctually, she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. The eye contact he offered her was intense, and he didn’t break it; he just pulled her to him and swayed slowly to the music. “How did you--” she stared, but he cut her off, “not yet,” he said, “just move with me.” He repeated back her line from SAX, and she gave in, moving her head, so their cheeks were almost touching. Her eyes fluttered closed. 

The song was over before she could totally relax in his arms. He stepped away from her, one hand still lingering on her waist, “shall we get a drink and find somewhere to talk?”

She nodded and followed him to the bar where he ordered two glasses of champagne, “Actually,” she told the bartender, “just the one,” she pointed to Henry, “and I’ll have another seltzer with lime.”

He looked at her quizzically, “not drinking?”

Ellie shrugged, “just need a break,” she gestured towards the drinks the bartender pushed towards them. They left the loud reception hall, heading down the hall and peaking in rooms, finally finding an open door and an unoccupied smaller reception room. The tables and chairs were stacked against one wall near the bar; Henry moved to pull down some of the chairs, but Ellie was already walking towards the front of the room where there was a small stage. She sat her drink down on it and hoisted herself up on the edge. 

Henry joined her, and they sat in silence for several minutes, listening to the din of the music from Tyler and Whitney’s reception down the hall and the tinkling sound the ice made in Ellie’s glass when she took a sip. She finally spoke, “I’m sorry.”

“You said that already,” he said, not unkindly, but his voice was pointed. He cleared his throat, “you seemed like you weren’t yourself that night.”

She sighed, “I wasn’t. It was… it’s so… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s such a long story.”

“Start from the beginning; once this party shuts down, we can go somewhere else if you’re still talking.”

She smiled weakly and took a deep breath. Ellie met his gaze; his eyes were kind but expectant, and he watched her inhale again before saying, “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to get everything out before I answer your questions. I’m afraid once I start, it’ll be hard to stop.” Henry nodded and muttered a quiet, ‘agreed,’ as Ellie began… 

She started honestly: that when they’d met, she was with someone. She didn’t waste her breath on apologies or explanations; she just let it all out. The years of the relationship that hadn’t always felt toxic or complicated, but that had become much more so in the last year or so. She talked about her pre-Brian days, where her self-esteem issues and desire to please, always to appear laid-back and perfect, and to never back down from a challenge, had led her to a constant string of drunk nights and hookups. The slow build of Brian’s manipulation and gaslighting. Her confusion about how to get out and make it stick. That the attention Henry had given her: the genuine kindness, the exciting flirting, the heartfelt, late-night conversations had all made her feel more safe and comfortable than she’d felt in years that she had been honest in every conversation with him but had omitted her relationship status. That she was terrified of feeling vulnerable for him but was even more terrified that her history with Brian might impact any potential future with Henry.

At some point, she started crying, and Henry kept his promise not to interrupt her with questions or comments before she was finished. He’d draped his suit coat over her shoulder while she talked. He felt himself go through a wave of reactions and was grateful she had asked him to be quiet. He was angry she’d deceived him, he was thankful for her honesty, he was sad for her experiences… and he was full of lust watching her speak. He missed several minutes of her speaking as he was caught up taking her in. The bridesmaids had all worn different, dark green dresses. Ellie’s was floor-length and sleeveless, with a slit up the front and a mesh-covered, low-cut chest. Her hair was swept up in a low knot on the nape of her neck; from a day of festivities, some of it was tumbling out. She was spectacular. 

Finally, she finished speaking and looked at him expectantly. Henry took a moment to process and before responding to her. “That is a lot. I’m not sure where to start.”

“I know. And I’m sorry, I’m sure I hurt you in this process, and it was never my intent. Somewhere in all of this, I realized that I was really hurting and needed a change I was too scared to get. But I cut things off with Brian; he’s no longer in my life. I hope. I think. I don’t want him to be.”

Henry nodded, “Is that why you were so hesitant to meet me? Or to let me kiss you?”

“Yes,” she breathed, “I wanted you to, so very badly, but I also knew it wasn’t right.”

“I’m not sure you told me about Tuesday. What happened that night?”

She sighed, “The short version is that I was leaving to come to meet you when Brian showed up. We had a… we had words. He was aggressive. It was… it was just an awful night and the worst timing. I wanted to be with you. I wish you knew how much.” She broke eye contact with him and twisted her fingers in her hands. 

Henry couldn’t take it anymore. There was still a lot to process, a lot to work out, a lot of decisions to make, but he slid their drinks out of the space between them and pulled her closer. One hand snaked under the jacket on her shoulders and tightly around her waist. The other landed on her cheek and rubbed it softly, pulling her chin up to look at him. Her hands were still in her lap, but her fingers quieted when he touched her. 

Ellie didn’t wait for him to close the distance. First, she leaned up and kissed him, softly at first until Henry met the kiss with lust and urgency, pulling her legs across his lap, the hand on her waist squeezing tightly and pressing her body into him, his other hand slowly, lightly traveling down the front of her dress, over the mesh between her breasts, and grasping a handful of her hip to keep her as close as possible. Her hands wandered across his chest, over his arms, one coming to rest at the nape of his neck, pushing her fingers into his hair while the other wrapped around his tie and loosened it, using it to pull his chest closer to hers.

“E’hem…” someone clears their throat in the doorway, “sorry to interrupt.”

They pulled apart but didn’t move their hold on each other. One of the groomsmen was standing in the doorway, and the music had stopped in the reception; someone was speaking to the guests. “El, you’re being requested by Whitney. She said to tell you that you can’t say no to her today.” 

Ellie dropped her head, and Henry saw her blush, “shoot,” she untangled from Henry and dropped off the stage, onto the floor, and straightened her dress before looking up at Henry, “you should stay here. I’ve embarrassed myself enough with you.”

“What’s happening?” Henry asked, joining her on the floor and taking his jacket from her, “what’s going on? 

“I just… Whitney loves to make me do this,” she was blushing and walking ahead of him back to the reception hall. When she entered, the bridal party threw up a cheer, and the dance floor had been cleared. Whitney was standing in front of the DJ, holding the microphone. 

“Finally! I’m sorry to pull you away from your hunk, but it’s time,” Whitney grinned and turned towards the DJ, nodding. She turned back to the gathered guests, “For those of you who don’t know, when I was born, my mother had an unhealthy obsession with Whitney Houston, hence my name. And one of my dearest, most darling friends, Eleanor Banks, happens to have a phenomenal voice that she usually only shares in bars or sleepovers. Listening to her sing is one of my very favorite things, especially because she turns bright red and pretends that she hates it. But tonight, because I’m the bride and she can’t say no to me, I’d like you to join me in encouraging her to sing for my brand new husband and me.” 

Whitney held out the microphone and grinned at Ellie. She offered a pout, and Tyler joined her, pouting at Ellie. From behind her, two large and warm hands touched her hips before giving her a gentle nudge towards the bride and groom; her eyes widened when she turned to look at Henry, his eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. She made her way across the floor, and the opening music of “How Will I Know” started to play. Ellie took the microphone from Whitney, who winked and whispered, “I picked this one for your new boo. You know you love me!” 

Ellie could feel the blush on her face as she turned to the guests and spoke over the intro music, “Happy wedding day, Whit and Tyler. I hate you both for this.” She said it out loud but couldn’t help swaying and getting into the song. She desperately avoided Henry’s eyes and started singing. She couldn’t resist. She rarely sang, but when she did, she loved it; once the adrenaline started pumping, she couldn’t stop. She opened her mouth, and the words came tumbling out, her hips swaying but grateful that her friends were coming to the dance floor, so she wasn’t performing alone. 

Henry stood at the edge of the dance floor, completely enraptured. He had no idea this was in her; she was belting every note perfectly, working the crowd, still blushing beautifully. She was clearly avoiding her eyes, and he was positive that Whitney had chosen this song on purpose. Ellie finally looked at him as she sang, “I fall in love whenever we meet/ I'm asking you what you know about these things/ How will I know if he's thinking of me.” She was making her way towards him, reaching her hand out to wordlessly ask him to join the crowd on the dance floor. 

Whitney followed Ellie’s gaze and marched straight to Henry, pulling him on the floor, using her standard, “I’m the bride, you have to do what I say,” line to get him to follow. Ellie approached him, singing straight to him and leaning against him briefly before moving on to sing to her friends and the bridal party. At the end of the song, Henry was part of the raucous cheering for her while Ellie handed the microphone back to the DJ, who had already started the next dance tune. She turned right to Henry, marched across the dance floor, and kissed him straight on the mouth. 

“So you sing,” he laughed when they parted, “that was incredible.”

Ellie giggled and snuggled into his chest while he held her. She hesitantly looked up at him after a few minutes of holding each other, swaying slowly and ignoring the filling dance floor surrounding them, “we have some things to figure out, I guess.”

Henry nodded, “We have some things I’d like to do as well…” he gave her a sly grin and leaned forward to nuzzle her nose and kiss her forehead. 

Whitney approached, “I give you permission to leave early with this beautiful man, and if you make a baby tonight, I request that it be named after me,” she laughed when Ellie stepped from Henry to hug her. “You are released from bridesmaid duties,” she hugged Henry, and they exchanged a few hushed words. 

After gathering her belongings, she offered to take them back to her place to continue their conversation. In the elevator ride up to her apartment, Henry couldn't keep his hands off her, his desire getting the best of him. He pressed her against the back of the elevator, one hand holding his weight against the wall next to her head, the other resting just under her bra line, rubbing his thumb lightly under her breast; he could feel through the dress that there was no bra under it. Her hands were at his belt, pulling him towards her. In the hallway, they inadvertently slammed into her neighbor's door, deep in a kiss that neither one of them could pull out of. Giggling into his lips, she pushed Henry back and rearranged her face into a firm look, “Henry, no one is getting naked tonight.”

“I don’t need naked,” he smirked and leaned down, starting to kiss down her neck, “I can work around clothes.”

She sighed and couldn’t stifle a soft moan, letting him push her body against her own apartment door while his fingers dug into her, “let me rephrase; we’re not having sex tonight.” 

He pulled back and pouted for a moment, “what about if we just--”

Ellie pressed a finger to his lips, “there can be no more than kissing tonight. Believe me,” her eyes traveled slowly down his body, lingering below his belt, “I want you,” she sighed and bit her lip when she looked back up at him. Henry pushed his forehead into hers and let out a low groan while he pushed his hips into hers. It was all he could do not to shove her dress over her hips and wrap her legs around his waist. “But I need a pause. We need to finish our conversation. We just… we can’t tonight. I can’t tonight. I’m not ready.”

Henry smiled at her, running his thumb over her chin and pulling her face up to his, “you’re very responsible.” 

Ellie snorted and turned towards her front door and let them in, “I’ve rarely been called responsible, but thank you,” she stepped inside and turned to kiss him once more, all in one fluid motion. His hands were at her hips, pushing her against the wall and slipping his tongue into her open mouth. The moan she made and the way she grabbed his waist to pull him against her hips was driving him wild. Henry was entirely unsure how he’d sit in this woman’s apartment tonight and not pull all of her clothes off. Ellie caught up in this moment, hadn’t noticed right away that Judy didn’t come bounding the door. She could hear her muffled barking coming from the bedroom, and she pulled away from Henry. 

“Well, what is this?”

Ellie jumped, and Henry’s grasp on her waist tightened at the sound of Brian’s voice. He was sitting in her living room, drinking a beer with his feet up. The door to Ellie’s bedroom was closed, and they heard Judy thrashing against it. 

“Henry, could you please let Judy out of my room,” she didn’t break eye contact with Brian, “what are you doing here.”

Henry walked across the apartment and let Judy out, who bounded to Ellie and then explored Henry curiously. Henry’s eyes were also stuck on Brian when he knelt to greet Judy. 

Several whole minutes passed before anyone spoke.


	6. Chapter 6

#  6 

It was Henry who spoke first. He rose from playing with Judy, keeping his eyes on Brian, “El, why don’t you go gather some things for a few days.”

“Is he your keeper now?” Brian laughed; he hadn’t moved from the couch. His feet were still resting on her laptop on the coffee table, and he took another sip of beer. Ellie glared at him and walked past Henry to her room. Her hand grazed his shoulder as she passed; he pushed her gently on the ass, guiding her into her bedroom. 

“I think you should leave,” Henry told Brian. Judy was sitting obediently next to Henry and observing the two men. 

Brian laughed, “I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re not involved in this. I didn’t break-in. I have a key.”

Henry simply repeated, “I think you should leave.” His voice gave away no emotion, but his body language spoke volumes. After listening to Ellie speak about this man tonight and after the cryptic way Whitney had explained Ellie’s situation, he was not about to let Brian near her. And he certainly wasn’t going to let Ellie stay here alone when this man had a key and no problem using it and had, he inferred, put his hands on her at least once already. Without realizing it, Henry had crossed his arms over his chest, and his muscles were twitching. 

“Nor, can we just talk?” From her bedroom, Ellie recognized Brian’s change in demeanor. This was one of the things he did. He’d swing quickly from one emotion to the next, giving her whiplash. His voice was pleading. She knew if she walked into the living room, he’d give her his most pathetic expression. “I think we both said things we didn’t mean.” She heard him moving and could see Henry from where she was; his body shifted to block the doorway. He was big enough to block it entirely. Brian wasn’t a small guy, but he looked like a teenage cross country runner in comparison. 

Ellie was swiftly flying around her closet and bathroom, throwing in clothes and toiletries at random. She’d followed Henry’s advice without a second thought because the idea of staying here had rattled her. She didn’t know where she’d go, but anywhere was better. She threw in the novel she was reading, her chargers, and just needed her laptop… which was in the living room. She approached the door, where Henry was blocking Brian from coming in. 

“Henry, I need to get my computer,” she muttered to him. He half-turned to talk to her, his eyes finally leaving Brian. 

“Do you need anything else?” Henry dropped his voice, “anything valuable?”

Ellie shook her head, “just Judy.”

“I’ll take care of her, finish getting what you need,” Henry patted Judy’s head while Brian took Henry’s distraction to push through the door towards Ellie. Henry loudly objected, and he grabbed Ellie’s arm to pull her back into the living room with him. 

“Listen, you asshole,” Brian said to Henry, stepping to him as a challenge, “I need to talk to my girlfriend.” 

“For the hundredth time, Brian, I’m not your girlfriend anymore,” Ellie shouted from the living room while she shoved her laptop in her bag.

“Ellie,” Henry called over his shoulder, “do you have everything you need?”

Ellie was already slipping on her heavy winter jacket and grabbing Judy’s leash, “yes, let’s go.” 

In a few quick strides, Henry stepped away from the bedroom and was snatching up her overnight bag and pushing her out the door.

“I’ll just wait here,” Brian called to them, “I’ll wait until you’re done fucking her dirty little cunt. She’s had a lot of dick, so you probably won’t want it for long, big guy. Ellie, I’ll be here when he throws you away, and you come crawling back home. We can talk about how you’ll make this up to me.”

Henry took her straight down the elevator, through the small lobby, and out to the street. They didn’t stop once, Henry tugging Judy’s leash to keep her from slowing them down, as he took her straight to his apartment, just a few blocks away. Once they were inside and the door was locked, Ellie collapsed into the nearest chair and buried her head in Judy’s fur. She wasn’t crying, but her whole body was shaking with adrenaline and exhaustion. Henry sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of her, his hands softly rubbing her knees while she held Judy tightly. In a fit of excitement and confusion, Kal pushed against Judy, against Ellie, against Henry, trying to get anyone to respond to his barks. Judy, the faithful companion she was, didn’t leave Ellie’s grasp. Kal eventually catapulted himself through Henry and into Ellie’s lap with Judy. Ellie burst into laughter, lifting her head and nuzzling into Kal’s fur, “thank you, buddy,” she whispered to Kal while his whole body rattled with pleasure. 

Finally, she looked up at Henry. He’d gone into the kitchen and shed his suit coat and tie. He was pouring a whiskey for himself and a glass of water for Ellie. She followed his movements around the small kitchen and started to have time to think through the events of the last few hours. From making out voraciously to coursing with panic, she was a jumble of thoughts and feelings. 

“Henry,” she got out of the chair, still in her jacket, and met him in the kitchen, “I should go to a hotel. I can’t stay here.”   
  
“I’ll take you to a hotel then,” he nodded, “but I’m not leaving you alone.”

She shook him off, moving back towards the door, “I can’t impose on you. This isn’t your problem, and I’ll just crash in a hotel for a night and figure it out after some sleep.”

“You don’t have to do this alone, Eleanor,” she was caught off guard by the use of her full name. He was standing directly behind her and slowly turned her around to face him. “I’ll sleep on the couch; you and the dogs take the bed. Get a good night's sleep and a hot shower; I don’t have to be on set tomorrow, but even if I did, I’m not sending you off alone to manage this.”

“Henry, be reasonable. We haven’t even figured out our situation, and now you’re putting me up because of my ex. This is not your problem.”

He put his hands firmly on her shoulders, “I will not force you to stay with me. I won’t force you to do anything. Ever. But I’m not going away. If you want to leave tonight, I’m going with you. I’ve heard one tiny part of your story, but I witnessed a lot tonight. That man has put his hands on you before. I won’t let him again. You are not alone.”

They stared at each other, Ellie trying to decide if this was romantic or the start of another emotionally demanding and toxic relationship, and Henry trying to decide if it was inappropriate to kiss her.

“I’ll stay on the couch,” she finally said, unzipping her jacket herself, “but first, I need to shower this whole day off.” 

Henry carried her bag into his bedroom and busied himself getting towels for her. He left her alone in the room after a chaste kiss, shutting the door behind him and sitting on the sofa between both dogs, sipping his drink and trying to practice lines. He heard the shower turn on and the door to it squeak open and shut… he kept reading the same line over and over when his mind slipped to the idea of her in his shower, naked. He finally got further down his script's page, unbuttoning his cuffs and top several buttons and kicking his dress shoes off to put his feet up next to Judy. When Henry heard the shower door squeak open again, he tried not to picture Ellie wrapping herself up in a towel. His pants were getting snug, and he shuffled around on the couch, disrupting both dogs. “Sorry,” he offered them, patting each of their heads and forcing his eyes back onto his script.

“Hen,” Ellie called before opening the door to the bedroom.  _ Oh fuck _ , Henry thought, looking up to her standing in just a white towel; she was peeking around from behind the door to the bedroom. “I was in such a rush; I forgot something comfortable to sleep in. Do you mind if I--”

Henry was on his feet and in the bedroom, pulling shorts and a t-shirt out of his dresser and shoving them at her. He would hardly look at her and instead muttered, “mind if I jump in the bathroom,” while he rummaged in the drawers again, not looking for anything but trying to avoid letting on how turned on he was.

“Hey,” her voice was directly behind him, and he put both hands on the dresser, balling them into fists. She touched his hips; his knuckles turned white. She came around him, ducking under his left arm and coming to stand in front of him. In just a towel. Her dark hair was combed, still very wet and dripping down her shoulders. He still didn’t look at her when she put her hands on his chest and ran them slowly up to his shoulders. Her right hand came to rest on his exposed chest, and her left went to the back of his head, guiding his head up to look at her. She was smirking, knowing full well the power she was wielding. But after a few moments of eye contact, she simply pulled him towards her and kissed him gently, and his arms finally unclenching to wrap around her. It was a tender kiss, not one of lust. Just slow, deep… almost loving. 

She pulled out of the kiss when it started to turn towards more passion, and she avoided his eyes, looking nervous, “thank you. For tonight I mean, thank you. No one has ever stood up for me or protected me before. Whatever happens between us, I’m grateful for how you made me feel tonight.”

Henry kissed her shoulder and leaned his temple against hers, “You deserve so much more than him. I just want you to be safe.”

Ellie sniffled, feeling all her big emotions tumbling over her and her exhaustion from the wedding, the emotional conversation with Henry, and the chaos of Brian catching up to her. Henry finally pulled away and muttered, “I’m going to get ready for bed,” and left for the bathroom after one more kiss on her forehead. 

Once he was in the bathroom, Ellie slipped into his t-shirt and shorts. The shorts hung off her body, and she finally opted to forgo them for plain panties before padding into the living room and turning the lights off to settle onto the couch where Henry had put together a makeshift bed. She and Judy settled in together, snuggling closely and closing their eyes. She drifted to sleep almost immediately and was startled awake sometime later by Kal’s nose on her cheek; she looked up to see Henry’s right arm bracing his weight on the couch, and his left leg lifted over her body.

“What the fuck, Henry,” she shrieked she said as she flew upright and pulled the blanket over her chest. 

“Oh shit,” he muttered, “I’m sorry, this isn’t what it looks like.” He jumped back and stood cautiously away from her. “I was just… you looked so… it was…” He rubbed his hands through his hair and over his face, looking sheepish and slightly distraught. And also adorable in flannel pajama bottoms and a black tank top, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done this. You go take the bed, please. That way, you can lock the door.”

“What were you doing,” she asked her heart rate settling. 

“I just wanted to be close to you. I was trying to cuddle with you,” he said, not making eye contact and rubbing the back of his neck, “you mentioned once that you like to be close to someone when you’re feeling sad, and I just assumed… I’m really sorry.” 

“You remember that?”

He nodded, “you told me that when your dad died, the best thing anyone did for you was when your friends spent the night and slept with their arms around you. You said you just like the comfort of knowing someone is with you, so you don’t feel alone and that no one has done that for you since your dad died. That’s why you got Judy, so you’d always have a warm body to make you feel safe, and so I… ” His voice trailed off. 

Ellie felt a rush of affection for him at that moment; he remembered more about a passing conversation than Brian ever had… or anyone. She was on her feet and kissing him before he even looked up. “Take me to your bed,” she muttered against his lips as she pushed him back towards his bedroom.

“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned down at her, bending to scoop her into his arms and carry her to his bed. 

“I swear to God, Cavill, if that was all just a line to get me in bed, I’m Tweeting all the selfies you sent me.” 

He dropped her carefully against the pillows and pulled out of her grasp. He grabbed both of her wrists in his hands and kissed the inside of her palms, “I didn’t want you in my bed to sleep with you. I want to make you feel safe. You told me no sex tonight; I heard you. No sex. Just kissing.”

Ellie smirked at him, her fingers playing lightly in his hair, “or maybe just once tonight...” she whispered, biting her lip before pulling him back down to kiss her; he accepted her lips eagerly while the back of his mind told him not to rush with her. They’d have time. This was taking advantage of her vulnerability… but he lost his train of thought when her hands pushed the hem of his shirt up to touch his abs. She moaned quietly and sent a rush through Henry; he climbed onto the bed and slid one leg over her, pushing his body into hers. She pulled his shirt over his head and started to trail kisses down his neck and shoulder before returning to her lips to his. His hands were roving over her body, not settling in any one place but wanting to feel all of her. He groaned when her hands traveled down his chest and to the waistband of his pajamas. 

“Ellie,” whispered against her lips, “we can take all the time you need,” he grabbed her hands and pulled them back up to his back, where she dug in her nails.

She stopped and looked at him, “don’t you want to?”

He sighed and pressed his weight into her, “of course I do,” he kissed her neck; he lingered with their bodies pressed together before he finally sat up, “but you’ve had a big night. Let me hold you and sleep next to you. You were right; we shouldn’t tonight.”

The look on her face was hard for Henry to read. It could be incredulous; it could be sad. It could be any mix of things. He was fairly certain she’d never been turned down for sex before; he was also fairly certain saying no to her tonight was the hardest thing he’d ever done. He crawled across her body and pulled down the covers; it was the first time he noticed the pink panties sticking out from under his t-shirt, and he willed himself to think of anything but that as she slipped under the covers beside him. 

When he came to rest behind her and slid his arm around her, she laced her fingers through his and snuggled against him. Judy lay down Ellie’s other side, and Kal was at the foot of the bed. Ellie’s mind raced, feeling Henry’s warm body against hers and his breath on her neck. He kissed her neck several times, even nipping it once, before whispering “goodnight” and squeezing her hand. 

His arms were safe; his bed was safe. She was safe… for tonight. They hadn’t finished talking, and she knew it needed to happen before they could move forward. Or rather, if they could move forward. She had to figure out how to deal with Brian and how to ever go back to her apartment and feel as safe as she did right now. 

  
Her eyelids were heavy, and eventually, her mind focused on listening to all three creatures in the bed and their steady breathing. It could all be addressed tomorrow… she wouldn’t have a choice… 


	7. Chapter 7

#  7 

Henry awoke Sunday morning to an empty bed. Both dogs and Ellie were out of the room, and the door was ajar; he could hear her moving around the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was only 6:15. He debated going back to sleep but caught a whiff of coffee and threw back the covers, dropped his legs off the side of the bed, and stood up with a big groan and stretch. 

They hadn’t gone to bed until at least 1, but he was quickly learning that Ellie’s mind was in constant motion, and this early rise after the night she had didn’t entirely surprise him. There was so much he still wanted to say to her about their own budding relationship, but he didn’t want to pressure her into that conversation until she had time to think through Brian. He wasn’t sure how to help that, but he’d be there to try. 

He padded into the kitchen, where both dogs greeted him with their clicking nails on the hardwood floor. He rubbed them both on the head, watching Ellie. Her back was to him, her head dropped, and her arms leaning on the kitchen counter. He thought she was watching the coffee percolate at first, but then he noticed her body quiver and her shoulders shake. She was stifling sobs. Henry hesitated, unsure of the best course of action, and finally decided he’d rather she shook him off than not try to offer the physical comfort he knew she craved. Soundlessly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and she collapsed against him. Her knees gave way, and her whole body dropped into his arms, so much so that he had to guide them carefully to the kitchen floor, where he leaned back against the refrigerator and pulled her into his lap. He rubbed slow circles on her back and pushed his face into her hair, whispering, “I’ve got you,” and “you’re not alone” between “shhh” and “it’s going to be okay.”

Judy and Kal both circled them several times before Judy pushed her body against Ellie’s, and Kal sat reverently next to Henry. Ellie had clearly been trying to cry quietly before he came out because her sobs now shook her whole body. He just pulled her closer and her arms tucked under his and around his broad chest. 

After at least ten minutes, she started to quiet into sniffles, and her affect quickly shifted. She went from needing him close to swiftly swiping at tears and pushing out of his lap; she wouldn’t look at him as she stood up and went back to fixing coffee for them. 

“I’ll take the dogs out after some coffee,” she said, still not looking at him and taking her mug into the living room. 

Henry sighed and ran his hand through his hair; she was a puzzle. He joined her in the living room, where she had pulled a blanket over her lap, and Judy was cuddling next to her. Henry beat Kal to the couch and pulled some blanket over his lap, letting his thigh rest against her and throwing his arm casually around the back of the sofa. She absentmindedly scratched Judy’s head and sipped coffee, occasionally sniffling. “I’m sorry for that,” she finally said.

Henry groaned, “you have to stop apologizing to me,” he turned to look at her, “you aren’t a burden to me.” She looked surprised and muttered, “oh,” softly. Henry went on, “I can’t imagine how you feel right now.”

She still hadn’t looked at him once this morning, and he found himself gently taking her coffee cup and setting it on the table next to his own before he used his big hands to pull her face towards him. He took a deep breath, “this isn’t the time to make this about me, but I want you. I want to be with you. I don’t care how fast it is or how little we really know of each other. This conversation should probably wait until you’ve had some space, but I’m selfishly trying to be sure you understand that I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not annoyed by your tears, and I’m not that man. You are safe to cry or yell or do whatever you need to get through this. I just want to be here holding your hand while you get through this. I don’t just want him out of your life because he’s not safe. I want him out of your life so I can have you entirely to myself.”

Ellie didn’t say a word, nor did her face give away any reaction. She just listened, her eyes still puffy and her nose red and raw from crying, so he continued, “if you’re not ready for this now, I can understand that. I’ve got a lot of emotions of my own to work out. I’m still angry that you didn’t tell me you were seeing someone. Even though I understand now, I’m still a bit embarrassed to be stood up. I’m anxious I’ve started to bare my soul to someone who might not be ready for this. I’m nervous to feel so strongly about you…” he trailed off and watched her. “I just want things with you,” he finished.

Ellie continued to stare at him; she almost appeared in a daze. She pulled her face out of his hands and went back to rubbing Judy’s head. Several silent moments passed while Henry watched her face. “This is too complicated,” she finally whispered. “You don’t need complicated.”

“How do you know what I need?” He snapped, unable to keep his response in check. 

“No one needs this level of complicated. I’m a lot; I know that, and this is a lot. I shouldn’t drag you into this. I have too much baggage, and you deserve someone who can just be with you without feeling all this…”

“Do you see handcuffs anywhere? A gag?” Henry was thoroughly irritated at this point, “I’m not being dragged anywhere. And which one of us doesn’t have baggage? Come on, Eleanor.” He was entirely exasperated; He had no idea how to make it clear that she could trust him. On a fundamental level, he understood that she’d been through something traumatic, but he also wanted to shake her and make her listen to the words he was saying. “I’m a grown fucking man who is attracted to and wants to be with you.”

She turned and glared at him, “Don’t talk to me like that.” 

They glowered at each other for several moments before Henry’s lips started to twitch. Watching her hold her stubborn glare at him, he had to stifle a smile. He couldn’t help it. She was likely going to give him hell, but she had an adorable mad face. It reminded him of the first time he saw her, when she was still Blue Leggings, shouting at his trainer and throwing things. She’d been hidden under winter running gear, but she’d still been beautiful. This moment was no different. He struggled not to let on, but he watched her glare at him and refuse to break eye contact, and he swore he could feel his heart grow. He tried to control his face, but it was too late; she’d seen his smile, “what’s funny?” she sneered, scrunching her nose up. 

“Nothing,” he shook his head, “I take your words very seriously. I really do.” 

“Then why are you smiling like that?”

“It’s just…” he reached out and stroked the back of her head, “it’s just that you’re very adorable when you’re angry, which probably makes you angrier, but it makes me want to kiss you and give in to whatever you say.”

She narrowed her eyes for a moment while he grinned at her. The longer she glared, the more teeth he forced himself to show in his grin, and finally, she snorted a short laugh, “you haven’t kissed me yet this morning, so I can’t be that tempting.”

“I generally avoid kissing women covered in tears; it’s not great for my ego.”

Ellie rolled her eyes and reached for her coffee. Henry caught her arms instead and pulled her hands to his chest before kissing her, his tongue slipping into her mouth and exploring against hers. He guided her onto his lap, more aware than ever that she was in just his t-shirt and underwear. She didn’t stop him when his hands pushed under the shirt and slowly up her back, pulling her closer, his fingers splaying across the sinewy muscles in her back and slowly raking his hands over her. Henry never put his shirt back on after she’d removed it last night, and her fingers played in chest hair, drawing light circles with her nails. He was getting harder by the second, even with the blanket between them, and grunted when she rocked her hips into him. His mind raced between ripping the blanket away and lowering his pants and forcing them to stop… to give her the space she’d asked for last night before all of the chaos began. 

Ellie’s thoughts were mixed up as well; she wanted to pull off every scrap of fabric separating them. But she also knew this was her M.O.: this is what she did when she didn’t want to deal with big emotions… she took her clothes off. It’s how she got the awful nickname Brian had given her; it’s how she’d spent several years of college, it’s how she’d ended up in the relationship with Brian for so long. Instead of facing problems, she slept with men and created a whole different set of problems. 

Her mind reeled while her body rocked against Henry. She couldn't stop herself. Maybe this time, it was worth the consequences… At some point, she’d come out of this and feel one of two things: a deep, albeit complicated connection to Henry or utter embarrassment. But fuck. It just felt so good; she pulled back from the kiss, her hands sliding into his curls and grasping a handful to guide his head to one side and expose his neck. She trailed kisses slowly across his jaw and down his neck. Her hips rocked against him again, slowly, and he grabbed her ass hard, his fingers digging into her skin and pushing her back against him again. 

Henry’s head dropped back against the sofa, and he took a moment to enjoy the feeling of her in his lap. She was making soft moaning noises, almost purrs, as she kissed down his neck and onto his chest, pushing her ass back into his hands while Henry used his strong arms to pull her forward. 

Then, Kal barked. Loudly. It startled both Henry and Ellie and encouraged Judy to begin to bark too. Henry’s head shot up off the couch just as Ellie’s did, causing them to knock into each other. 

“Ow,” Ellie giggled while she rubbed her temple, “you’ve got a hard head, Cavill.”

“That’s not all that’s hard,” his voice was gravely and full of desire while he leaned forward to kiss the nape of her neck. “Come back here,” he murmured into her neck as his teeth grazed against her skin, and he used his grip on her to pull her tightly against him. She tilted her head back to give him better access and circled her hips enticingly. 

The dogs barked again, this time Kal jumping onto the couch and pushing his way between Henry and Ellie. Henry sighed, but Ellie laughed again and dropped down to kiss Henry once more on the lips, this time an affectionate peck with a shy smile, “I think the moment’s over for now. I’ll take them out. You just stay here and… calm down.” Henry swatted at her butt as she walked away from him towards the bedroom. He watched her go, the shirt hanging off and exposing her shoulder; the bottom hem was resting on her left hip, exposing her underwear and asscheek. He couldn’t look away and all but whimpered when she disappeared around the door. 

A minute later, she was back out in his sweatpants and sweatshirt, “Woman, did you bring any of your own clothes.” She winked at him by the door, pulling on her jacket and a warm hat. When they were out the door, Henry settled back into the sofa, adjusting his pajama bottoms and closing his eyes. He pictured Ellie’s body pressed against him and the feeling of her. He hadn’t even seen her fully naked yet but was practically salivating at the idea. He allowed himself a few moments of fantasy before he started to shift his thinking to  _ what now? _

Where would she go? How would she navigate getting herself out of this complex relationship with Brian while also starting something new with Henry? He couldn’t be selfish enough to demand her time or energy; untangling Brain was going to take a lot. As much as he wanted her all the time, naked or in sweatpants, he had to let her lead. If they were going to work, Henry had to step back and let her tell him what she needed… and he had to listen… even if that meant she didn’t want him right now. 

Once again, Ellie’s demeanor was different when she returned from the walk with the dogs. She was withdrawn and quiet, quickly making her way past Henry and into the bathroom to change into jeans and a sweater. She reappeared in the living room with her overnight bag and wouldn’t make eye contact, “I’m going to go to Whitney’s,” she said to him while quietly gathering her empty coffee cup and putting it in the sink. 

Henry jumped off the couch and closed her in on her in the kitchen; “what happened here,” he asked, “I know you need space, but I need more help understanding.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” she snapped, not looking at him.

“No,” he said slowly, “you don’t owe me anything, but I’d like to know what’s going on?”

“I’m going to Whitney’s. I already talked to her, she’s on a plane by now, and her house is open for me to stay there,” she retorted, watching Judy eat the breakfast that Henry had poured while they were outside. 

“Eleanor.” He said rather sternly, “you go wherever you like, but why right now? You’ve hardly slept. You’ve not eaten.”

“Nothing is the matter with me. I’m just leaving,” Henry cocked his eyebrow, not sure how to respond before he recognized that she was on the defensive. Henry assumed that all this time playing defense against Brian had made it her natural reaction, and he had no idea how to smooth over the situation. 

“Can I at least take you there? Let me put some clothes on, and I’ll drive you.”

“I’m fine by myself,” she finally looked at him, and it was a challenge; she was daring him to push her.

Henry sighed and took a step towards her, holding his hands up in submission, “Will you call me when you get there?”

“I’ll text you.”

He dropped his head, trying not to let frustration overtake him. She needed his support right now, not his judgment. But he wanted to scream at her and to shake her, to let him help and not push him away. “Okay,” he forced himself to say while she leashed Judy. 

Her hand was on the doorknob, and she hesitated. When she turned around, her face was a mix of emotions he couldn’t read. “I’m just gonna need a little time. I shouldn’t have led you on this morning… or last night. I just need some time to get my head clear before I do anything else.”

“I’d like to take you to dinner tonight,” he closed in around her, touching her shoulders; she let him. “Don’t answer now. I’m going to be here reading scripts most of the day. Go to Whitney’s, settle in, and let me know later.”

She nodded and let him kiss her slowly, longingly, and passionately; it was a movie kiss. The kind at the end of the film when the music swells and the leads finally get together and have their moment. When they pulled apart, Ellie willed herself not to apologize for the 100th time this weekend. She knew that her mood swings were likely overwhelming. She was well aware of how much baggage she was bringing into this thing with Henry. As she walked the few blocks to Whitney and Tyler’s apartment, she also knew that she wanted Henry entirely. He’d made her feel safe and respected as well as beautiful. But she was so overwhelmed by all of the thoughts running through her mind. First and foremost: she had an apartment full of belongings that she was terrified to step foot in. 

She settled into Whitney’s, immediately falling asleep on the couch with Judy and then spending some time grading assignments. Ellie let several hours pass, filling them with a run and some grocery shopping before she finally text Henry. 

**Ellie: i don’t think I’m up for dinner tonight**

The little typing bubble was busy for a long time while he formulated a response; finally, he said: **i understand.**

**Ellie: maybe later this week. i’m exhausted, and i have to work tomorrow**

**HC: Wednesday?**

**Ellie: i’ll let you know**

**HC: call me if you want to talk. i’d love to hear your voice**

She didn’t respond; she dove into Whitney’s closet to figure out what she’d wear to work tomorrow. Whitney worked in the corporate world; her wardrobe was either business or brunch and very little in between. Ellie settled on a few days worth of outfits, knowing she’d have to deal with her apartment eventually, before turning in for the night. 

By Wednesday evening, Ellie hadn’t really talked to Henry. A few brief texts to check-in and exchange some light flirting, but nothing of substance. Brian had also been calling and texting, so she made an effort to stay away from her phone and channel her energy elsewhere. She’d spent her after-work hours binging sappy TV and crying on Monday, aggressively working out her anger on Tuesday, and in her therapist’s office on Wednesday. At her therapist's suggestion, she went straight to the police station and started a paper trail on Brian. They couldn’t do much since he had a key and there had been no physical assault, but it felt good to have something documented and take their suggestions for her further precautions. 

It surprised Henry to see Ellie’s name requesting a Facetime call after several days of barely talking. He’d have to work on controlling his ego, not to expect her to fall all over him every day. 

“Hello, lovely,” he greeted, grinning at her when he answered. He’d just gotten in from filming and was in the kitchen throwing together something resembling dinner. 

“I missed your face,” she admitted; she had her tortoiseshell glasses on and was sipping a glass of wine, “good work today?”

Henry shrugged and gave her a brief recap of his day before changing the subject, “I wish I could’ve taken you to dinner tonight.” He wandered into the living room and dropped onto the sofa. He propped her up on a pillow while he ate dinner. 

“I guess I kind of stood you up again, didn’t I,” she sighed. 

“At least this time, it wasn’t in public.”

“Well, I called for another reason,” she took a deep breath and fidgeted around before continuing, “I need your help.” When he didn’t answer but stared into the phone, she continued. “I’d like to go back to my apartment, but I don’t want to go alone.” She could hear her therapist’s voice in her head: _ allow yourself to ask for support and be vulnerable. If he is the right man for you, he’ll meet you where you are. _ Nonetheless, her hands were shaking, and she had to prop the phone up. Asking for help was not her strong suit. Neither was allowing him to know that she was scared; she’d prefer just to be cold and withdrawn.

“When,” he responded almost immediately, a piece of some leafy green hanging out of his mouth. 

“Friday afternoon? Around 3:30.”

“I’ll rearrange my schedule.”

“Oh,” she panicked. She didn’t want to make him miss work; this wasn’t worth that, “don’t worry about it. I’ll go alone. Or I can go a different day.”

“I’ll rearrange my schedule.”

“No, no. I forgot that not everyone has teacher hours. I’ve got it. Forget I asked.”

“Eleanor,” he was giving her a look, “this is important, and I am happy you asked me to go with you.”

She blushed and momentarily wished she wasn’t on video. She hoped he couldn’t read the relief written all over her face. They went on to talk for over two more hours before she finally started to wrap up the call. 

“You know,” Henry’s face slid into a sly grin, “I wish you were sleeping next to me again. I liked having you in my bed.”

Ellie liked this part; this part of relationships was easy for her, and she turned up the sass, “what part did you like best?” She bit her bottom lip and waited for him to respond. He was shuffling around on the couch while he thought. 

“I liked listening to you snore.”

She practically cackled, not expecting that answer, “fair enough, I’ve been known to snore. You wanna know what I liked best?”

“Hmm…” he could hardly sit still on his end. Could he possibly be this easy to work up? She hadn’t even done anything sexy.

“I liked feeling your naked chest against my skin and how tightly you held me,” she watched a grin cover his face, “and I liked how we kissed goodnight.”

“That was a pretty good way to say goodnight,” Henry agreed, “but I think my favorite part was knowing you were in my shirt, with little else, and that every time you moved, the hem slid further and further up, and I could see more and more of those little pink panties underneath.”

“If you’re really good, Cavill, and we hang up now without more stalling, I might give you a reward.”

His eyebrows shot up, “goodnight,” he said before hanging up abruptly. 

Ellie’s laugh reverberated around the apartment, and she made her way into the bathroom. As she’d felt strange wearing her friend’s underwear, she’d done laundry, and those infamous little pink panties were clean. She’d planned to wear them tomorrow under one of Whitney’s dresses, but it wouldn’t hurt to wear them for just a few minutes. 

She slipped off all of her clothes and into the simple, semi-sheer bikini cut and dimmed the bathroom lights. She pulled her hair out of the topknot and took off the glasses; her phone buzzed. 

**HC: … waiting**

Ellie smiled and opened the camera on her phone; she turned sideways and held her phone in her left hand while she grabbed a towel with her right and draped it over most of her breasts, holding it in place with her arm. She let her head fall back slightly, so her hair cascaded down her back and snapped several pictures. Choosing a favorite, she sent it off to Henry, feeling an electric charge of excitement go through her. 

**Ellie: worth waiting?**

**HC: fuck**

**Ellie: goodnight, Cavill**

Henry took longer than usual to respond, and Ellie grinned to herself when she changed into her pajamas, got ready for bed, and tucked in with Judy. She was just plugging her phone in for the night when it buzzed one last time. It read simply:  **you’re incredible** , and included a picture of him on his bed; he looked at the camera with hooded eyes, no shirt and one hand on his hip, grey sweatpants slug low, and the frame just slightly included the evidence of his attraction. 


End file.
